Improvement in fifth-wheels for carriages



R. W. McLELLAND.

Fifth-Wheel for Da rriage's.

N0, 161,348, Patented March 30,1875.V

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IMPROVEMENT IN FIFTH-WHEELS FOR CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,348, dated March30, 1875; application filed October 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT W. MCOLEL- LAND,of Cerro Gordo, in the county of Platt and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Fifth- Wheel; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis specification, in which` Figure l is a perspective view, showing myimproved fifth-wheel 5 and Fig. 2 a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying' drawings denote thesame parts.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction offifth-Wheels in respect to strength and durability. To this end myinvention consists in the peculiar construction, which I will nowproceed to describe.

In the drawings, A represents the fifth-wheel, composed ot' two circularplates, B B1,.the lower plate being of greater diameter than the upper,as shown. The lower plate B is securely attached to the axle O, and hasan orifice in its center, through which projects a circular boss, D,formed on the clip king-bolt D. The upper surface of the plate B has acircular recess formed by a raised rim,B2, concentric with the boss D,and ot' sufficient diameter to receive the upper plate B1, the latterbeing provided with a circular recess in its center fitting over theboss D and a vertical socket receiving the king-bolt D. The end of thereachI is inserted in a mortise in a bench or block, G, cast upon theupper side of the plate B and supporting the front spring H of theWagon, the kin g-bolt passing through the reach, bench, and spring, andbeing secured by a nut on its upper end or other suitable means, asshown in Fig. 2.

By this construction it will be seen that the top plate B1 is securelyattached to the reach, the end of the latter being tted snugly in therecess of the bench. The diameter ofthe upper plate being smaller thanthat of the lower, it naturally follows that the lateral strain on theupper plate, when the wagon is inclined, is much less than if the plateswere oi' equal diameters; consequently said plate is much less liable tobreakage. The raised rim B2, in connection with the boss D and kingboltD', holds the upper plate securely in place, while the recessed bench Gaffords convenient and ettoient means for connecting the upper plate B1to the reach and spring, and enables me to dispense with the fullhead-block usually employed, the spring being attached to the block bybolts b b. The construction of the lower plateB enables me to employ aclip kingbolt in connection with a solid as Well as with an openfifth-Wheel.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a fifth-wheel the small upper plate B,fitting into the large recessed lower plate B1, and carrying thereach-rod F, all combined substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination, in a fifth-wheel, of the lower plate B, having therim B2, the upper plate B1, having the recessed bench G, and the clipking-bolt D having the boss D, all to operate substantially asdescribed.

ROBERT W. MGOLELLAND.

Witnesses:

CHRISTIAN R. KACHEL, W. M. STEPHENS.

